Fog & Snow

There is something about fog and snow that I love.  I hate snow and am so over winter right now.  So maybe it's the fact that I know the air is warmer than the snow covered ground that causes the fog.

WHAT? WHAT???

WARM AIR?

DID SOMEONE SAY WARM AIR?

WHERE???

Surely, this must be a sign of spring!

I know.  I'm delusional.  A girl can dream.  Can't she? (grumble, grumble damn ground hog. And stop calling me Shirley!)

Aaurgh!

I rarely make teapots.  This is why....

I loved it last night but I'm hating it this morning (another lesson on why I shouldn't work on new ideas after 5 pm).  I love the body shape and the handle but the spout is too big.  I cut it down twice before I attached it but it's just too fat.  And the lid doesn't fit snugly enough.  What do you think?

OK.  I guess I got lazy or arrogant.  I only made one spout and two lids.  Even the best potters makes several of each in order to get a good fit.  I'm gonna go with lazy and I'm paying for it.  Hopefully, lesson learned.  Again!

Sunday, Muddy Sunday!

The momentum continues!  Yay!  My fingers were actually a little pruney after all of this.

I know you production potters out there are probably underwhelmed but this is really good for me.  I actually was going to make all soap dishes but got bored after four and started making bowls, then a lidded jar and a tea pot (haven't attempted one in ages).

Maybe this is how my production is going to work: frequent sessions yielding a variety of items.  Hey, whatever gets the job done.  Right?

How do you get over the tedium of making the same thing over and over?  We need to make what will sell but how do you resist not spending too much time playing and experimenting?  It's just too much fun!

Gettin' Busy With It

Things are looking busy for the coming year.  We're gonna try a fuller show schedule in addition to doing some consignment along with increasing our online store inventory.  Yikes!  I had better get busy!

As excited as I am, I was having a hard time getting myself motivated to change into my "grubbies" and go into the FREEZING garage and sit down to pot.  We have a heater and rubber mats down on the floor but that cold cement always finds it's way into my bones. It was too tempting to make excuses to not get into the pottery after dinner when I'm tired and a little cotton-headed.  So Craig insisted I rearrange my work schedule to get in more quality potting time.  I knew there was a good reason I married him!  I'm getting down there for a few hours first thing in the morning 3 days a week.  Mandatory.  So far it's worked out well this week.  So far....

Future mugs.

Not what my original idea was but it took on a life of it's own and I like it!

And the Winner Is....

Well....  No one.  =/  Unless you count my family, who got to eat some apple pie.  

I was trying to give away one of these slightly naughty pie birds/vents by having a guessing contest.  But no one guessed correctly.

The adventure started with a request from my brother-in-law (aka "anonymous" in a previous post) for a pie bird.  After a little research (I've never seen one in person.) and taking my BiL into consideration (he did marry into our family, after all!) I thought it would be appropriate to make his pie bird/vent look like a pig's butt.  So that's what I did.

And because one great idea spawns another, other posteriors were produced: a cow and a black bird along with another pig.

Don't be too impressed. It's Pillsbury's pie crust.

I thought the black bird was too tall but he turned out to be the perfect height for a deep dish pie.  The cow and pig will work in a regular sized pie.

YUMMY!  Guess who forgot the ice cream & RediWhip?

Now, if only I could get a picture inside the oven of steam actually coming out of the hole....   You smiled.  I know you did.  =D

Click here to see the Etsy listing.

Click here to see the Etsy listing.

Note to Self:

Maybe if I write it down this time it'll sink in!  I'm sure I did this last year, too.  Trying to squeeze just one more order into the last Christmas firing.  Can you spell "Stress"?  'Cause I don't have enough I need to give myself a big, fat dose of more.  Really?  When will I learn?  What was Nancy Reagan's motto?  "Just say NO!".  But they really, really want this birdhouse: "It'll be perfect for Dad!".  And an owl bank inscribed for a granddaughter...   "NO!"  Well, I'm sure I won't be that harsh.  Middle-child diplomacy won't let me.

So, I'm getting it out there now:

Dear Universe,
I hereby declare the cutoff date for custom pottery orders for Christmas of 2013 IS December 1, 2013.  This is not to be changed, challenged or forgotten (hopefully) or pain of intense pre-holiday headaches, hair-pulling and hand-wringing will ensue with no sympathy of any kind to be given to the offender.

If I had a stone and chisel I'd etch it in.

I feel better now getting it out there so I can be held accountable when I'm wondering why big clumps of my suddenly grayer hair are missing next Christmas.

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday enjoying family and friends.  I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!

Coming off the High

What makes you "high"?

Hopefully, not drugs of any kind (insert disapproving Mom-Stink-Eye here)!  I mean a natural high.  Something that makes you feel stupid-happy.

I'm still riding an unexpected high from the craft show we did yesterday. 

Not from packing up the car the night before and feeling I'm forgetting something. 
Not from waking up late and missing breakfast. 
Not from rushing to set up before the show starts with no caffeinated beverage to fuel me. 
Not from realizing what I forgot was one of my main display shelves and having Craig run it out to me (he's the BEST!). 
Not from realizing some of my banks didn't have stoppers in them (lucky for me Craig hadn't left the house with the shelves yet). 
And definitely not from sitting for the first 2 hours of the show seeing plenty of customers with shopping bags that weren't mine.

There's always  trepidation for me at the start of a show.  What if we don't sell anything?  Worry and self doubt are familiar companions.

My mood change started with the first sale.  Not a big purchase but it got the ball rolling.  A couple of returning customers, which is still new for me, a Christmas order for a hippo bank (been there, done that!), more sales than I expected and lots of smiles and complements made for an intoxicating combination, apparently.  I was exhausted but high as a kite at the end of the day.

I guess I'm still humbled that anyone buys our pottery. Maybe it's because I haven't done a show in over 6 months that I'd forgotten the rewarding validation I get from seeing people admire and purchase our pots.  That one-on-one interaction is very energizing and inspiring for me.

Unfortunately, we're not doing anymore shows until next year.  So before it wears off I better get to making some hippo banks!